HRML - UK travel

Cheltenham? I think Coventry would be more than 4 hours from St Ives, or Bath? or Oxford possibly?

Thanks.

Have checked the AA route planner and it says 8 and a half hours for St Ives to Sunderland so maybe maximum of 5 hours might be more realistic. I think I went to Cheltenham once but can't remember it. Fancy Oxford but will add quite a lot of expense I think. Been to Bath quite a few times but H hasn't. Will do some more googling and try to find out a bit about those places.

Coventry itself isn't much to write home about, but nearby is Kenilworth, Warwick, Stratford-on-Avon, which are all very nice. I went to Warwick Uni which is just outside Coventry, so knew the area fairly well. Leamington Spa is also nice (it's where most of the students live in 2nd and 3rd years).

But getting out of St Ives is lilkely to take you longer than expected - we're outside Bristol, and it takes us 2. 5 hours just to get to Padstow...

So maybe somewhere more Cotswolds-y might be a good choice - Stow-on-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh etc?

I wouldn't bother with Coventry - how about Straftford?

What are you planning to do at these stopovers? Is it simply a place to rest your head or are you planning some sightseeing? There are plenty of picture postcard towns and villages between the M5 and M40 - Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold, Burton-on-the-Water, Snowshill, Chipping Camden, the charmingly named Upper and Lower Slaughters. Or how about Stratford-upon-Avon?

I've never been to Coventry but as it was virtually levelled during WWII and is home to a number of car manufacturers, I can't say the thought is appealing. Perhaps I'm doing it a great disservice.

Have been to Stratford upon Avon very recently but it was lovely and we would like to go back. Not really going to have time to do much are we? Not by the time we get away from St Ives. Suppose really we will just have time to go out for a meal (I'm a vegetarian so will need to look for a place that has veggie food which is labelled as suitable) and a few drinks and then go to bed. H thinks we have to hand our keys in at St Ives at around 10am.

Have been nicely put off Coventry anyway ? Thought I'd heard it wasn't up to much.

Maybe we'd be better off looking for a cheap Travelodge somewhere.

I would suggest Worcester. It's only a couple of miles off the motorway into the city and there are some nice restaurants.

We're staying here in Warwick which someone suggested is on your way back home. Not stayed there before but i've booked it for our wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks

http://www.warwickoldrectory.co.uk/